Volkswagen finally has confirmed the on-sale dates for the upcoming, seventh-generation Golf and GTI hatchbacks, even though we’ve had a rough idea for some time now. The new Golf will go on sale in Europe in the spring of 2013 after making its debut at this fall’s Paris auto show; unfortunately, Americans will have to wait about six months longer until the fall of 2013 to get their hands on the car.

As for the sportier GTI model—a multiple 10Best-winning hot hatch—customers in the U.S. and Europe also will be able to get their mitts on one in the fall of 2013. (So we Americans at least will get both the normal and hotter GTI-spec Golfs at the same time.) Good thing, too, because the new GTI is expected to improve upon the current car’s already stellar formula. You can find more details on the next GTI here.

Speaking of the GTI, the Euro-only diesel GTD model—basically a diesel-powered GTI, which we adore—won’t be coming here to the U.S. in its current, sixth-gen form. However, we’re told that VW is seriously contemplating bringing the seventh-gen Golf-based GTD to the U.S. Of course we’re excited by the prospect of a sporty, small diesel hatchback, but the move makes sense on a broader level for VW. Basically, as one of the diesel sales leaders here in the U.S., offering a sportier oil-burner is a safe bet: The company can tap its legion of diesel customers as well as provide a sort of halo model for compression ignition.

Volkswagen will be focusing its initial Golf efforts on core models like the regular three- and five-door cars and the GTI; Golf-based variants like the next-generation Jetta SportWagen will follow later.